Just for a Little While

After saying goodnight, Alice fell asleep on the sofa.

Curled up, she looked like an oversized golden retriever cat. Though she seemed a bit grumpy when awake, in the end, she was just a child—adorable once she settled down.

"No idea how this little one even got here," Ye Shuang muttered from the other end of the sofa. He wasn’t sure how Alice had found his address, though given the Zhou Family’s influence, it wasn’t exactly surprising.

"……" Ye Shuang narrowed his eyes slightly. He couldn’t help but wonder—with the Zhou Family’s resources, was it really that hard to find Bai Yuyou? Or was someone deliberately obstructing them?

The incident with the button phone had left Ye Shuang suspicious of everything related to the Zhou Family. While he doubted the messages had necessarily come from them, among the people he knew, they couldn’t be entirely ruled out yet.

"Ye Shuang…" The girl beside him spoke up.

"What’s up?"

"Wanted to practice guitar… but seems like I can’t," Bai Yuyou said.

Ye Shuang glanced at Alice, who was sound asleep with steady breaths, and smiled. "Yeah, let’s take a rare break today. Keep it quiet so she can sleep a little longer."

Bai Yuyou nodded, then took out a pen and paper, scribbling:

【•ω•`) Then we won’t talk.】

Ye Shuang chuckled and pinched her cheek lightly before picking up his tablet. Watching a movie with headphones on would be fine for now.

Bai Yuyou didn’t need strictly educational films anymore, so something more entertaining would do. After browsing, Ye Shuang settled on The Billionaire.

The exaggerated plot might help Bai Yuyou develop a sense of humor. He even hoped she’d laugh at the comedy—after all, in the old photos they’d found at home, little Bai Yuyou’s smile had been incredibly cute.

An hour later, the movie ended, but Bai Yuyou still hadn’t laughed. A bit of a shame.

Still, at one point, she did remark, "Money… seems really powerful."

"Yeah, that’s true."

After that, she quietly resumed watching. It had been a while since they’d last curled up like this for a movie.

Gradually, the night deepened.

Outside the window, neon lights still glowed. Haizhu wasn’t a city that never slept, but the lights here didn’t go out too early—some night-shift workers were just starting their shifts around midnight.

"Time to rest," Ye Shuang said, glancing at Alice, who was still fast asleep on the sofa. He pulled the blanket up over her shoulders, deciding not to wake her. If she went upstairs now, she might struggle to sleep in an unfamiliar bed.

Since she was already sound asleep, it was better to let her stay until morning.

Alice was petite, so the sofa was more than enough for her, and there was no risk of her rolling off.

"Ye Shuang… the light," Bai Yuyou pointed at the switch, noticing he hadn’t turned it off.

"Leave one on."

With a few clicks, the room dimmed, but the kitchen light remained on—bright enough not to strain the eyes but not so dark that the child would feel uneasy.

Ye Shuang wasn’t sure if Alice was afraid of the dark, but he treated her with the same care he’d give any child, leaving traces of thoughtfulness in unnoticed corners.

Once everything was settled, he led Bai Yuyou upstairs to sleep.

……

……

Some time later, Alice woke up.

She slowly opened her eyes, stretching lazily before sitting up. "My pillow’s so hard… Didn’t I just change it?"

After looking around, she froze. "Where is this? A strange ceiling… Did I get isekai’d?!"

It took her a moment to remember—she’d run away.

"Meow~" A sound came from her feet. Alice looked down to see Yīwàn (Ten Thousand) hopping up beside her before flopping down.

"Kitty, are you here to keep me company?"

"Meow?"

"Thanks." Alice stroked Yīwàn while scanning the room. Though dim, the distant light gave her an inexplicable sense of security.

They must be sleeping upstairs, right?

She glanced at the blanket covering her and lay back down, her mind drifting to what had happened earlier.

Shattered fragments, deafening shouts, and heart-wrenching cries—just thinking about it made her feel like she couldn’t breathe.

"So tired…" Alice murmured. "Was it a dream? Maybe when I wake up… Mom and Dad won’t be fighting anymore?"

"That stuff… wasn’t real, right?"

"After I wake up…"

"……"

When she opened her eyes again, it was already morning.

Alice mumbled groggily, her vision slowly focusing—only to find a face inches from hers.

"Wahhh?!" She shrieked, even slipping into a startled trill.

Once she regained her senses, she realized a girl was crouched in front of the sofa, grinning. A pair of massive "schoolbags" nearly blocked half her view.

"Wow, she’s awake! Bro, I think I scared her."

"Of course you did, getting that close."

Ye Shuang was still in the kitchen frying dumplings. Seeing Alice awake, he couldn’t help but laugh.

"Sorry if she startled you. This is Tang Keke, your Yuyou-jie’s friend."

"Hehe, you’re so cute!" Tang Keke waved. "Like a little doll."

Alice shrank into the corner of the sofa, her face a mix of discomfort and mild disdain. So this was Bai Yuyou’s friend?

Weird people really did stick together.

"Mm…" Alice’s gaze drifted to the other girl’s "schoolbags." What kind of diet led to that?

"So adorable! Bro, she’s so adorable! Can I hug her?" Tang Keke climbed onto the sofa, hands outstretched, fingers wiggling like she was grabbing at air. "Can I hug you? Just for a sec?"

"N-no! Stay away!" Alice panicked.

"Aww—"

Watching Alice bristle like a tiny hedgehog, Tang Keke sighed in disappointment.

Just then, Ye Shuang walked over with a plate. "Alright, Keke, stop pestering Alice. Go upstairs and help me wake Yuyou."

"Got it!"